Thanksgiving Week

Nov 19, 2009

Hey all, 

T-Day is coming up...gobble...gobble.  After our last High School meeting, I want to piggy-back on that by reminding y'all to spend this Thanksgiving really being thankful.  I mean, be as thankful as you possibly can, and let the people around you know how thankful you are for them and what they do.

I've noticed that the people around me (sometimes including myself) who are focused on having everything around them be exactly according to their wishes always seem to be the people who are the least happy, and the least happy to be around.  But the people who are just thankful for what they have always seem to be the happiest.  It seems like it should be the opposite.  I would think the people who always demand things to be perfect would therefore be happy because things are going their way.  But what really ends up happening is that they are the most unhappy, because they are so focused on what isn't good.

This is not to say that we shouldn't always strive to be the best we possibly can, and to make the world around us as good as it can possibly be.  But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be happy with things the way they are.

I've been reminded about this as I have been settling with Peichi into our new home.  We were in the various rooms late last night talking.  In the kitchen, we can think of hundreds of things we want to do in order to make it perfect.  We will work on those things one at a time, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy my kitchen now.  If I focus on what isn't good about my kitchen I won't be able to enjoy it at all.  It is a great kitchen!  It isn't what it can be, but I will work on that in time.  I don't want to miss the opportunity to be thankful for the amazing kitchen I have.

Let us make sure that we don't go through life focusing on what we don't have, but being thankful for what we do.

-And please remember, there is NO YOUTH NEXT WEEK.  It is Thanksgiving.  I'll be thankful for the day off.